City to Use License Recognition Software to Increase Parking Turnover

In response to growing complaints from residents in areas drawing excessive visitors and parked cars, the city of Berkeley will implement a pilot Residential Parking program to increase the rate of turnover parking in the North Willard and Bateman neighborhoods within the next few months.

The program will outfit parking enforcement vehicles with license plate recognition software in lieu of the current system of chalking cars to monitor parking in two-hour zones. The program targets the two neighborhoods as they house two of the city’s largest employers – UC Berkeley and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.

Using chalk as the only two-hour parking enforcement has been ineffective, as some people tend to wipe it off or just move their cars forward a few feet instead of permanently leaving the area, according to Councilmember Kriss Worthington. He added that the new program would prevent such action.